U.S. urged to retaliate against Japan
U.S. urged to retaliate against Japan
WASHINGTON (Reuter): Northwest Airlines has asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to retaliate against Japan for refusing to honor Northwest's treaty rights to begin new service to Indonesia.
The complaint, which urges Washington to cancel immediately Japan Air Lines' twice-a-week service to Sao Paolo, Brazil, via Los Angeles, follows the breakdown of aviation talks between the U.S. and Japan on Friday. No new talks were scheduled.
Northwest said Japan had failed to honor its bilateral commitments by failing to authorize the service.
"If Japan does not allow Northwest to commence operations next week, Northwest will be forced to cancel the service for the remainder of the summer season. The need for action by the DOT, therefore, is urgent and immediate," the complaint said Wednesday.
July 1 was the deadline under provisions in the existing 1952 air agreement for Japan to agree to the Northwest request to extend service, as well as a request by Federal Express Co. to extend its cargo rights to new Asian cities.
In the failed talks, U.S. officials reiterated their desire to negotiate a more expansive air pact between the two countries as soon as Japan authorized U.S. services allowed under the 1952 pact.
By July 8, Japan was to agree to a United Airlines UAL request for expanded service between Los Angeles and Tokyo.
Transportation Secretary Federico Pena on Friday said Washington would now consider its options after the talks broke down. No comment was immediately available from the Transportation Department on the Northwest complaint.
Northwest also urged Pena to reject an application by Japan Air Lines to operate a Hiroshima-Honolulu service once a week on any basis, scheduled or chartered.
Northwest had scheduled service from Seattle to Osaka to Jakarta three times a week, beginning July 1, and a DC-10-30 aircraft and flight crews had already been dedicated to the route.
Northwest said it had been forced to cancel the service temporarily despite having sold a substantial number of tickets for the initial flights.
The Jakarta route is an extension of Northwest's current Seattle-Osaka service and would have been the only service from the mainland United States to Indonesia by a U.S. carrier.